Means for skimming debris from the surface of swimming pools



Feb. 22, 1966 w. E. BARNES 3,235,885

MEANS FOR SKIMMING DEBRIS FROM THE SURFACE OF SWIMMING POOLS Filed Sept-5, 1963 2 Sheets-Sheet l l lllllllllllll'lllll I ll n n A llllllllllllllllllllll INVENTOR. WILL/10M E. Baa/v53 AGENT Feb. 22, 1966 w. E.BARNES 3,235,885

MEANS FOR SKIMMING DEBRIS FROM THE SURFACE OF SWIMMING POOLS Filed Sept.5, 1963 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 WILL/4M E. Bfl/QNES INVENTOR AGENT UnitedStates Patent 3,235,885 MEANS FOR SKIMMING DEBRIS FROM THE SURFACE OFSWIMMING POOLS William E. Barnes, 21500 Wyandotte, Canoga Park, Calif.Filed Sept. 3, 1963, Ser. No. 305,962 9 Claims. (Cl. 4172) The inventiondescribed herein pertains to a system for skimming floating materialfrom the surface of the water in swimming pools and in particular to asystem of this type having a plurality of skimmer outlets that areselectively operable in accordance with the direction of the prevailingwind.

Most modern swimming pools are provided with a so-called skimmer, whichis an outlet on the side of the pool extending somewhat above and belowthe surface of the water so that any leaves, scum, or other debris onthe surface of the water adjacent to such outlet may be drawn therein bymeans of a pump that sucks such surface Water to the filter. Suchskimmers are very ineffective in and of themselves for the reason thatthe aforementioned debris always drifts to the lee side of the pool. Ifthe skimmer does not happen to be on the lee side, the debris must bepushed or scraped toward the skimmer in order to be entrained with theoutgoing water. This requires the frequent attention of an attendant. Ifthe debris on the surface of the pool is not skimmed shortly after itappears, it tends to collect and to form larger particles that are heavyenough to sink to the bottom of the pool. A large part of the debris anddirt at the bottom of a pool accumulates in this way. If the pool iskept skimmed, it is seldom if ever necessary to clean out the bottom ofthe pool.

One of the objects of the present invention is to provide automaticmeans for skimming the pool as fast as the debris appears.

Another object is to provide two or more skimmer outlets spaced aroundthe pool so that at least one such outlet will be near the lee side ofthe pool where the surface current caused by the prevailing breezes willcarry the surface debris.

A further object is the provision of means controlled by the prevailingbreezes for making the skimmers selectively operable in accordance withthe direction of the prevailing winds.

An additional object is to provide as many as three, four, or moreskimmer outlets so that one or more of them will be sufiiciently nearthe leeward portion of the pool to be effective in quickly sucking offthe surface debris.

Still another object is to provide a valve having a plurality of portseach individual to one of the aforementioned skimmer outlets and toconnect each of these ports by means of a pipe to its associated skimmerat the edge of the pool, and to use these same pipes or conduits for thereturn of the filtered water, heated or otherwise, to the pool itself.

A further object of the present invention is the provision of waterinlets each located below or adjacent to one of the skimmers and soassociated therewith that it may return filtered water to the poolthrough a part of the same piping used to remove skimmed surface waterfrom the pool.

Yet another object is the provision of suitable valves that will preventthe filtered water from returning through the skimmer openings if thepool is equipped with independent inlet ports for the filtered water.

A further object of my invention is to provide a special valve having aplurality of ports therein each individual to one of said skimmeroutlets and its associated inlet.

Another object is to provide a valve of the type de- Patented Feb. 22,1966 scribed that will direct the incoming water to the filter and thewater from the filter back through the ports in the valve to thefiltered water inlets on the windward side of the pool.

' Still another object is to provide a design for a valve of the typedescribed that is inexpensive to build and so easy to operate that itmay be controlled and powered by means of a weather or wind vane.

This invention possesses many other advantages and has other objectiveswhich may be made more clearly apparent from a consideration of severalembodiments of the invention. For this purpose there is shown a fewforms in the drawings accompanying and forming a part of the presentspecification. These forms or embodiments will now be described indetail, illustrating the general principles of the invention; but it isto be understood that this detailed description is not to be taken in alimiting sense, since the scope of the invention is best defined by theappended claims.

In the drawings:

FIGURE 1 is a combined plan view of a swimming pool and associatedapparatus showing debris on the surface of the pool being pushed towarda single skimmer, this figure illustrating the problem that is solved bythe present invention;

FIG. 2 is a section on line 22 of FIG. 1 intersecting the skimmer outletand the usual pool drain, showing the connections normally used fordrawing water from the pool by one or other of these outlets;

FIG. 3 is a diagram showing one embodiment of my invention utilizing avalve that directs water from whichever skimmer is on or near the leeside of the pool to the pump and filter, simultaneously directing thefiltered and heated water to the port on the opposite side of the pool;

FIG. 4 shows another embodiment of my invention in which there are threesurface water outlets, this diagram indicating the manner in which waterselectively flows through these outlets in accordance with the directionof the wind;

FIG. 5 is another diagram similar to FIG. 4, with the weather vaneindicating a different wind direction and showing how the water flows inand out of the pool in accordance with the resulting valve settings;

FIG. 6 is a similar diagram in which four outlets for surface water areprovided, this diagram indicating the direction of water flow withrespect to these outlets in accordance with the direction of the wind.

FIG. 7 is a broken-away perspective View of a valve suitable for openingand closing ports in accordance with the direction of the wind;

FIG. 8 is a cross-section through a valve having a rotor like that shownin FIG. 7, the FIG. 8 view indicating the direction of water flowthrough four of the ports and illustrating two differently shapedapproaches to the ports, either of which shapes maybe used optionally;

FIG. 9 is a section taken substantially on line 9-9 of FIG. 8, this viewshowing the location of the ports around the valve;

FIG. 10 is a cross-section like that of FIG. 9, but showing the rotororiented slightly counterclockwise from the position indicated in FIG.9, a change of angular position that results in the opening of one ofthe ports that is closed in the FIG. 9 view and the closing of anotherport that is open in the FIG. 9 view;

FIG. 11 is a vertical section taken through the side of the pool in sucha position that it will intersect one of surface water outlet or skimmer1, FIGS. 1 and 2, the

mouth 2 of the vent, FIG. 2, being so disposed in the side of the poolthat it extends somewhat above as well as somewhat below the surface 3of the water. As a result, if there is any suction on the pipe 4,indicated in broken lines in FIG. 2, for drawing the water out of thevent or skimmer, the surface water near the vent will flow into the ventand entrain with it such debris as may be in the vicinity of the vent orskimmer. In order to establish a flow of water from the skimmer 1, thepipe 4 may be connected in any suitable manner to the suction line 5',to which the conduit 5 from the drain 6 may also be connected by openingthe valve 64. The pipes 4 and 5 shown in :FIG. 2 may communicate withthe conduit 5' shown in FIG. 1. In the system usually provided at aswimming pool, the pipe 5' leads to a pump 9 shown symbolically inFIG. 1. This pump is connected by a suitable conduit 19 to the filter11, which in turn communicates by way of conduit 12 with an optionalheater 13 from which the water is returned to the pool through theconduit 14, having been filtered and sometimes heated. The returnedwater is usually received into the pool through an intake 15, FIG. 1,generally located some distance away from the skimmer 1. The intake 15is usually at least a short distance below the surface of the water, asshown in FIG. 11 where a return opening 16 is shown in such a position.

Although the suction through the conduit 5' due to the operation of thepump 9 is sometimes sufficient to cause a very slow surface currenttoward the skimmer 1, the surface currents are usually controlled by theprevailing air currents, with the result that the leaves and otherdebris 17 falling into the pool tend to drift toward the lee side. Theymust then be skimmed or pushed toward the skimmer 1 by some kind of amechanical skimmer or pusher such as the device 18 indicated in FIG. 1.This of course requires the services of an attendant-usually the ownerof the pool.

I provide a plurality of surface water skimmers substantially equallyspaced around the swimming pool and make them selectively operable inaccordance with the direction of the wind.

FIG. 3 shows a swimming pool 19 equipped with two water surface openings20 and 21 located about 180' degrees apart around the pool. The openingsor skimmers 20 and 21 are connected respectively by means of conduits 22and 23 to a control valve 7a through a plurality of peripherally spacedports, later to be described. The water from the valve 7a that entersthrough said ports passes from the valve through an appropriate outletinto the conduit 25 and thence to the pump 9a, which is the counterpartof the pump 9 in FIG. 1. From the pump 9a the water passes successivelythrough conduit 10a, filter 11a, conduit 12a and heater 13a to a conduit26 from which the filtered and heated water, instead of returningdirectly to the pool as in the system shown in FIG. 1, returns insteadto the valve 7a through a suitable inlet.

Valve 7a, hereinafter to be described, is so constructed that water fromthe pool reaches the valve either thrOugh conduit 22 or 23 according tothe direction of the wind which, of course, positions the weather vane24. It should be noted that the arrow of the weather vane is pointed inthe direction from which the wind is coming. Arrow 8 points in thedirection toward which the wind is blowing -that is leeward. If thewater enters the valve through conduit 23, it will leave the valvethrough conduit 22, and vice versa. As diagrammatically shown in FIG. 3,the water isleaving the pool through outlet 21 from which it passesthrough conduit 23 to the valve 7a. After leaving this valve throughconduit 25 it passes in turn through the pump, filter and heater to theconduit 26 from which it returns to the valve. It then leaves the valvethrough conduit 22, returning again to the pool through the opening20all as indicated by the various arrows.

In the FIG. 4 diagram, only the conduits between the pool and the valveor water-directing means are shown, other apparatus such as the conduitsto and from the pump, filter and heater being omitted for the sake ofclarity. Three water surface openings 27, 28 and 29 are shown withassociated conduits communicating with the valve 7b. A weather or windvane 24a is diagrammatically shown attached. to the valve 7b, indicatingthatthe wind is blowing in a northeasterly direction if we assume thatnorth is toward the top of the page. However, be cause of the use ofthree water surface openings instead of only two, there is a differentpattern of water flow in and out of the pool. The control valve thatwill hereinafter he described, causes the water to be drawn from thesurface of the pool through the openings 28 and 29, since the wind isblowing toward the northeast corner of the pool; and the water of coursemust return through the water surface opening 27. It will be noted thatthe three water surface openings 27, 28 and 29 'have been substantiallyequally spaced about the pool.

In FIG. 5, the water outlets, as in FIG. 4, are spaced approximately 120degrees apart around the pool, but the wind is indicated by the vane 24bas blowing in a northerly direction. In this case, the various ports inthe valve 7b, as will later be apparent, will be so oriented that waterwill flow out of the pool through the skimmer 28 only and will returnthrough both of the openings 27 and 29.

By adding a fourth water surface opening 30 opposite the opening 28a, asshown in FIG. 6, and by spacing the openings 27a and 29a angularlybetween them at opposite ends of the pool, then, if the wind is blowingin the same direction as that indicated in FIGS. 3 and 4, the waterwould leave the surface of the pool through the surface skimmers 28a and29a and return to the openings 27a and 30, as indicated by the arrows.

As hereinbefore mentioned, it is customary when a single skimmer is usedto return the water through an intake located some distance away aroundthe pool, but at a lower level as indicated in FIG. 11 where an intake16 is shown. When a plurality of Skimmers are used, as shown in FIGS. 3,4, 5 and 6, the same openings used for skimming may be used for thereturn of the water. However, if it is still desired to return the waterat a lower level or, at a different location from that at which itleaves the pool, the arrangement illustrated in FIG. 11 may be used.This shows a skimmer 31 located above the intake 16 which is shown atthe conventitonal depth. Were it not for the presence of the lower levelintake 16, water would enter and leave the pool through the conduit 32,in accordance with the direction of the wind, but when both an outletand an intake are provided, it is of course advisable that water flowout only through the conduit 32 and return only through the branchconduit 33 which joins the common two-way conduit 34 at point 35. Inorder to assure that water will flow in one direction only through pipes32 and 33, I provide a check-valve 36 in the branch 32 and another checkvalve 37 in the branch 33. Check valve 36 must of course be adjusted sothat water will flow only in the direction of arrow 38, and theadjustment of check valve 37 must be such that water will flow throughit only in the direction of arrow 39 toward the intake 16.

A satisfactory wind-control valve for the purposes hereinbefore setforth is shown in FIGS. 7, 8 and 9. This Valve comprises a shell 40,preferably of cylindrical shape, closed by a disc 41 at the bottom and acentrally apertured disc 42 at the top. A plurality of ports aresubstantially equaly spaced around the central portion of the peripheryof the shell, the number of ports being the same as the number ofsurface water outlets provided for the pool. For purposes ofillustration, a valve having four peripheral ports is shown, thisarrangement being satisfactory for In the broken-away perspective viewof FIG. 7, none of the ports or other openings (with the exception ofthe top central shaft aperture 43) is visible. However, the four portsare shown in the cross-sectional view of FIG. 9, and three of them arevisible in the longitudinal crosssectional view of FIG. 8. Three of theports, 44, 45 and 46, appear in both FIGS. 8 and 9, with the fourth port47 being visible only in the last-mentioned figure.

For reasons that will hereinafter be apparent, these ports are long andnarrow in the presently preferred embodiment. Because of this particularconfiguration of the ports, the adjoining ends of the conduits areflared out at the top and bottom as shown at 49 in FIG. 8 and narrowedin an opposite direction as shown by the portion 49 of conduit 51 inFIG. 9, and by the ends of the adjacent conduits that communicate withports 45 and 47, FIG. 9.

Inasmuch as it is not essential that the ports be long and narrow, pipe50 is indicated in both FIGS. 8 and 9 as being round in order toillustrate this alternative arrangement, although it will be understoodthat in usual practice they will all be formed one way or the other.

The ports 44, 45, 46 and 47 in the shell 40 are opened and closed bymeans of an angularly movable structure 52 which rotates on an axis thatis coaxial with the shell 40 itself. The rotor 52 comprises a centralsection 53 to which are attached two semi-circular dics 54 and 55 thatare connected to opposite ends of the rectangular central section 53 andso disposed with respect to this central section that they extend inopposite directions therefrom at an angle of substantially 90 degrees.Two ears or lugs 56 and 57, each sufficiently long to cover the lengthof one of the aforementioned ports, and sufiiciently wide to cover alittle more than its width, are attached to opposite sides of the centerportion 53 of the rotor, their angulation being such that each forms anangle of substantially 90 degrees with respect to the adjoining surfaceof the rectangular portion 53. As shown in FIGS. 9 and 11, the lugs orears 56 and 57 are arcuate in formation, their arcs being concentricwith the shell so that they may fit as close as possible to the innerwalls thereof without danger of binding.

A shaft 58 is connected to the lower part of the aforementionedrotatable or angularly adjustable structure, its point of attachment andinclination being such that its axis lies substantially in a planepassing midway between the two surfaces of the central section 53 of therotor. The aixs of the shaft 58 should also be equally distant from bothof the edges or sides of the central section 53. A second shaft 59 isappropriately secured to the upper end of the flat plate 53 at itsjuncture with the semicircular disc 54, the shaft 59 being so disposedwith respect to the shaft 58 that they are axially aligned.

The shaft 58 is supported on a needle bearing provided by thecone-shaped member 60 appropriately secured to the center of thecircular lower end 41 of the shell. The upper shaft 59 extends throughan opening or aperture 43 in the, center of the cover 42 of the shell.If desired, a bearing 61 may be provided in the aperture 43, and anO-ring or other suitable sealing means may be used at this opening.

The entire rotor 52 with the exception of the two shafts 5 8 and 59 maybe formed from a single elongated sheet of rigid material, such as sheetmetal, having parallel sides and two arcuate ends tangent to thesesides. The radius of the arcuate ends should of course be slightly lessthan half the inside diameter of the shell. In forming this sheet, eachof the arcuate ends must be turned at a right angle to the adjoiningportion of the sheet, but in an opposite direction. The lugs 56 and 57may then be attached by any appropriate means, or they may be providedon the flat blank itself and then turned substantially at right angles,and in opposite directions. The arcuate curvature of these flanges orears may be formed either before or after the blank has been bent to theconfiguration shown in FIG. 7.

The distances that the flanges extend from the plate 53 should be suchthat they will cover the width of the ports. In FIG. 8, flange 56 isshown extending sufficiently far to span the width of the round port 46.If the ports are narrow like port 45 shown in phantom in FIG. 8, thedistance that the flanges or cars project perpendicularly from the platemay of course be appropriately less.

A port 62 must be provided in the shell between the plane of thesemicircular disc 54 and the top end 42 of the shell, and there must bea similar port 63 diametrically opposite from the port 62 but betweenthe opposite end 41 of the shell and the semicircular disc 55.

It will be observed that the rotor divides the interior of the shellinto two adjoining chambers. One of these chambers includes the spaceabove the semicircular disc 54 and the entire three-dimensional arealying at the right of the central section 53 down to the lowersemicircular disc 55. The other chamber comprises the space below thesediscs and to the left of the central section 53that is, the special areabelow the two semicircular discs.

In the orientation of the rotor 52 indicated in FIGS. 8 and 9, the ports46 and 49 are open. If skimmed water from the pool is flowing into thecylindrical valve through pipe 50 and port 46, the entire area above thediscs 54 and 55 will be occupied by the skimmed water. This water isdrawn out through the outlet 62 and the suction pipe 25a, which is thecounterpart of the suction pipe 25 in FIG. 3. Under these conditions,the filtered and heated water returns to the valve through the returnpipe 26 of FIG. 3 and 26a of FIG. 8 from which it enters the valvethrough the inlet 63. As a consequence, when the rotor 52 is in theangular position shown in FIG. 8, the entire three-dimensional areabelow the semicircular discs 54 and 55 will be filled with fresh water.Inasmuch as port 44, FIG. 8, is open, fresh water will flow from thevalve through port 44 and conduit 51 to the appropriate openings in thewall of the pool.

It will be clear from an examination of FIGS. 7 and 8, that as the rotor52 turns about its axis, the two chambers defined by the central sectionof the rotor 53 and the two discs 54 and 55 will likewise rotate. Whenutilizing a valve constructed as shown in FIG. 8, two of the ports onthe periphery of the shell intermediate the planes of the semicirculardiscs will always be in communication with the chamber in the shellcontaining the skimmed water, while the other two ports will be incommunication withthe area where the fresh filtered water is thenlocated, the identity of the ports being determined, of course, by theparticular orientation of the rotor.

If the ports that are opened and closed by the rotor 53 are narrow likeport 45, FIG. 8, and ports 44 and 47 of FIG. 9, they will of coursecompletely open and close in response to a smaller angular movement ofthe rotor than would otherwise be the case, and the occasions when anyport is partly open and partly closed will of course be fewer in numberand of shorter duration.

In practicing my invention in its entirety as embodied in the systemjust partially described, it is necessary that the orientation of therotor 52 be controlled by the direction of the wind. This requires theuse of a suitable wind-sensitive device for opening and closing theports. If a weather or wind vane is used for this purpose, as indicatedin the various figures illustrating the presently preferred embodimentof my invention, such vane may be connected directly to the shaft 59somewhat as indicated in FIG. 7, although a direct connection is by nomeans necessary, the requirements of the system being met by anysuitable positive drive between the wind vane 24b and the shaft 59.

In the embodiment of my invention just described, the mechanism foropening and closing the various ports, inlets, outlets and otheropenings is operated direct-1y by the mechanical force of the moving airsurrounding the wind vane or weathervane. It is, of course, possible tocontrol the flow of water in accordance with the direc- 7 t 7 tion ofthe wind by utilizing any type of wind-sensitive device that willrespond differently according to the direction of the wind, and that mayactuate suitable equipment for opening and closing the various ports, orfor controlling the flow of water and its direction of flow by stillother means.

Alternative instrumentalities may also be used in lieu of otherstructures shown in the drawings and described in the specification, andvarious elements may be omitted from the combinations set forth in theappended claims and replaced by others performing the same function, orthe same function plus an additional function, and various parts may berearranged, transposed or reversed in position without departing fromthe broad spirit of my invention.

I claim:

1. In a system for skimming floating material from the surface of thewater in swimming pools, a combination including: a plurality ofpool-Wall openings widely spaced around a swimming pool and so disposedthat they will be intercepted by the surface of the water in the pool; avalve having (a) a plurality of ports each individual to one of saidopenings, (b) an outlet 'for the water entering through said ports and(c) an inlet for water to be returned to the pool; a plurality ofconduits each communicating with one of said openings and its associatedport; a weather vane; and rotatable control means for said valveconnected to said vane for positive rotation ther'e with for placingsaid outlet selectively in communication with the port or portsconnected to the opening or openings that are then leeward of the pooland for simultaneously placing said inlet selectively in communicationwith the port or ports connected to the opening or openings that arethen windward of the pool.

2. In a system for skimming floating material from the surface of thewater in swimming pools, a combination including: a plurality ofpool-wall openings widely spaced around a swimming pool and so disposedthat they will be intercepted by the surface of the water in the pool; avalve having '(a) a plurality of ports each individual to one of saidopenings, (b) an outlet for the water entering through said ports and(c) an inlet for water to be returned to the pool; a plurality ofconduits each communicating with one of said openings and its associatedport; a weather vane; rotatable control means for said valve connectedto said vane for positive rotation therewith for placing said outletselectively in communication with the port or ports connected to theopening or open ings that are then leeward of the pool and forsimultaneously placing said inlet selectively in communication with theport or ports connected to the opening or openings that are thenwindward of the pool; a filter; a pump for pumping water from saidoutlet to said filter; and means communicating with said filter forcarrying filtered water therefrom to said inlet.

4 3. In a system for skimming floating material from the surface of thewater in swimming pools, a combination including: a plurality ofpool-wall openings widely spaced around a swimming pool and so disposedthat they will be intercepted by the surface of the water in the pool; avalve having '(a) a plurality of ports each individual to one of saidopenings, (b) an outlet for the water entering through said ports and(c) an inlet for water to be returned to the pool; a plurality ofconduits each communicating with one of said openings and its associatedport; a weather vane; rotatable control means for said valve connectedto said vane for positive rotation therewith for placing said outletselectively in communication with the port or ports connected to theopening or openings that are then leeward of the pool and forsimultaneously placing said inlet selectively in communication with theport or ports connected to the opening or openings that are thenwindward of the pool; a filter; a pump for pumping water from saidoutlet to said filter; a heater for heating water from said filter; andmeans communicating with said heater for carrying heated filtered waterto said inlet.

4. In a system for skimming floating material from the surface of thewater in swimming pools, a combination including: a plurality ofpool-wall openings widely spaced around a swimming pool and so disposedthat they will be intercepted by the surface of the water in the pool; avalve having (a) a plurality of ports each individual to one of saidopenings, (b) an outlet for the water entering through said ports and(c) an inlet for water to be returned to the pool; a plurality ofconduits each communicating with one of said openings and its associatedport; a weather vane; and rotatable conrol means for said valveconnected to said vane for positive rotation therewith for placing saidoutlet selectively in communication with the port or ports connected tothe opening or openings that are then leeward of the pool and forsimultaneously placing said inlet selectively in communication with theport or ports connected to the opening or openings that are thenwindward of the pool; a plurality of filtered water intakes eachindividual to, and located below, one of said openings; and a pluralityof pipes each individual to one of said intakes and communicating withits associated conduit, each of said pipes having a check valve thereinto prevent the flow of water therethrough from the intakes to theirrespectively associated conduits.

5. In a system for skimming floating material from the surface of thewater in swimming pools, a combination including: a plurality ofpool-wall openings widely spaced around a swimming pool and so disposedthat they will be intercepted by the surface of the water in the pool; avalve having (a) a plurality of ports each individual to one of saidopenings, (b) an outlet for the water entering through said ports and(c) an inlet for water to be returned to the pool; a plurality ofconduits each communicating with one of said openings and its associatedport; a weather vane; and rotatable control means for said valveconnected to said vane for positive rotation therewith for placing saidoutlet selectively in communication with the port or ports connected tothe opening or openings that are then leeward of the pool and forsimultaneously placing said inlet selectively in communication with theport or ports connected to the opening or openlngs that are thenwindward of the pool; a plurality of filtered water intakes eachindividual to, and located below, one of said openings; a plurality ofpipes each individual to one of said intakes and communicating with itsassociated conduit, each of said pipes having a check valve therein toprevent the flow of water therethrough from the intakes to theirrespectively associated conduits; and a check valve in each of saidconduits between its uncture with its associated pipe and the pool-wallopenmg that is individual to said conduit to prevent the return of waterfrom said conduit to its associated pool-Wall opening.

6. In a system for skimming floating material from the surface of thewater in swimming pools, a combination including: a plurality ofpool-wall openings widely spaced around a swimming pool and so disposedthat they will be intercepted by the surface of the water in the pool; afilter for filtering water received from said pool-wall openings; aheater for heating filtered water from said filter; a plurality ofconduits each individual to one of said openings; water-directing meansfor selectively directing water from said conduits to said filter andfor directing water from said heater selectively to said conduits; andwind-sensitive apparatus for so controlling said means that it willselectively direct the water to the filter from the conduit or conduitsthat are individual to the open-ing or openings then on the lee side ofthe pool, and so that it will direct the water from said heaterselectively to the conduit or conduits associated with the opening oropenings then on the windward side of the pool.

7. In a system for skimming floating material from the surface of thewater in swimming pools, a combination including: a plurality ofpool-wall openings widely spaced around a swimming pool and so disposedthat they will be intercepted by the surface of the water in the pool;'& filter for filtering water received from said pool-wall openings; aplurality of conduits each individual to one of said openings;water-directing means for selectively directing water from said conduitsto said filter and for directing water from said filter selectively tosaid conduits; and Wind-sensitive apparatus-for so controlling saidmeans that it will selectively direct the water to the filter from theconduit or conduits that are individual to the opening or openings thenon the lee side of the pool, and so that it will selectively directwater that has been filtered by said filter to the conduit or conduitsassociated with the opening or openings then on the windward side of thepool.

8. In a system for skimming floating material from the surface of thewater in swimming pools, a combination including: a plurality ofpool-wall openings widely spaced around a swimming pool and so disposedthat they will be intercepted by the surface of the water in the pool; avalve having (a) a plurality of ports each individual to one of saidopenings, (b) an outlet for the water entering through said ports and(c) an inlet for water to be returned to the pool; a plurality ofconduits each communicating with one of said openings and its associatedport; a weather vane; and rotatable control means for said valveconnected to said vane for positive rotation therewith for placing saidoutlet selectively in communication with the port or ports connected tothe opening or openings that are then leeward of the pool and forsimultaneously placing said inlet selectively in communication with theport or ports connected to the opening or openings that are thenwindward of the pool; a plurality of filtered water intakes eachindividual to one of said openings; and a plurality of pipes eachindividual to one of said intakes and communicating with its associatedconduit, each of said pipes having a check valve therein to prevent theflow of water therethrough from the intakes to their respectivelyassociated conduits.

9. In a system for skimming floating material from the surface of thewater in swimming pools, a combination including: a plurality ofpool-wall openings widely spaced around a swimming pool and so disposedthat they will be intercepted by the surface of the water in the pool; avalve having (a) a plurality of ports each individual to one of saidopenings, (b) an outlet for the water entering through said ports and(c) an inlet for Water to be returned to the pool; a plurality ofconduits each communicating with one of said openings and its associatedport; a weather vane; and rotatable control means for said valveconnected to said vane for positive rotation therewith for placing saidoutlet selectively in communication with the port or ports connected tothe opening or openings that are then leeward of the pool and forsimultaneously placing said inlet selectively in communication with theport or ports connected to the opening or openings that are thenWindward of the pool; a plurality of filtered Water intakes eachindividual to one of said openings; a plurality of pipes each individualto one of said intakes and communicating with its associated conduit,each of said pipes having a check valve therein to prevent the flow ofwater therethrough from the intakes to their respectively associatedconduits; and a check valve in each of said conduits between itsjuncture and its associated pipe and the pool-wall opening that isindividual to said conduit to prevent the return of water from saidconduit to its associated pool-wall opening.

References Cited by the Examiner UNITED STATES PATENTS 1,762,366 6/1930Test 210169 2,961,098 11/1960 Nash 210169 2,982,971 5/1961 Garaw-ay 41723,018,491 1/1962 Read 4172 3,152,076 10/1964 K-reutzer so 4-1723,155,989 11/1964 Anderson 4172 3,157,201 11/1964 Littmann 137625.473,165,122 1/1965 Sachink 137625.47

LAVERNE D. GEIGER, Primary Examiner.

1. IN A SYSTEM FOR SKIMMING FLOATING MATERIAL FROM THE SURFACE OF THEWATER IN SWIMMING POOLS, A COMBINATION INCLUDING: A PLURALITY OFPOOL-WALL OPENINGS WIDELY SPACED AROUND A SWIMMING POOL AND SO DISPOSEDTHAT THEY WILL BE INTERCEPTED BY THE SURFACE OF THE WATER IN THE POOL, AVALVE HAVING (A) A PLURALITY OF PORTS EACH INDIVIDUAL TO ONE OF SAIDOPENINGS, (B) AN OUTLET FOR THE WATER ENTERING THROUHG SAID PORTS AND(C) AN INLET FOR WATER TO BE RETURNED TO THE POOL; A PLURALITY OFCONDUITS EACH COMMUNICATING WITH ONE OF SAID ROTATABLE CONTROL MEANS FORSAID A WEATHER VANE; AND ROTATABLE CONTROL MEANS FOR SAID VALVECONNECTED TO SAID VANE FOR POSITIVE ROTATION THEREWITH FOR PLACING SAIDOUTLET SELECTIVELY IN COMMUNICATION WITH THE PORT OR PORTS CONNECTED TOTHE OPENING OR OPENINGS THAT ARE THEN LEEWARD OF THE POOL AND FORSIMULTANEOUSLY PLACING SAID INLET SELECTIVELY IN COMMUNICATION WITH THEPORT OR PORTS CONNECTED TO THE OPENING OR OPENINGS THAT ARE THENWINDWARD OF THE POOL.